Elections for trust posts to be staged

The Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust has so far attracted more than 3,000 public members of its proposed Foundation Trust.

More than 100 of them recently attended a series of information sessions about what it means to be a governor. The public members, as well as staff, are now being invited to stand for election for the new organisation.

"We hope we will get candidates representing a good cross section of our local communities and staff," said trust chairman Toni Brisby.

She said they would particularly like more young people, aged 16 or over, to become members and, if they are over 18, to consider standing for election as governors.

"They really are part of our future and we are very keen to get younger people's views represented," she said.

"We would also like to attract more members and governors from the areas surrounding our immediate patch - even from as far as Birmingham and Wolverhampton - as we do have patients who travel to us from those areas."

The trust needs five governors to represent Cannock, five for Stafford and three governors from the surrounding areas, plus five staff governors.

Anyone who would like to stand for election should obtain nomination papers from the membership office at Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, Weston Road, Stafford ST16 3SA, telephone 01785 230978 or e-mail membership@msgh-tr.wmids.nhs.uk

They can also be obtained from Gina Armstrong, the returning officer for the Association of Electoral Administrators, PO Box 201, South Eastern Liverpool L16 5HH, telephone 0151 281 8246 or e-mail gina.armstrong@aea-elections.co.uk

Nominations must be returned by noon on August 13 to the returning officer at the Association of Electoral Administrators.

For all contested seats ballot papers will be sent to members of the Trust to be returned by September 21.